First time little problems you have to deal with.

Ceege

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
On my own for the first time and my hot water heater wasn't heating up. The pilot light had gone out. I found the paperwork from when it was installed years ago, and read up on how to relight it. I moved things out of the way, got 2 cushions out of a bin I had in the utility room - one to kneel on and one to rest my arm on - and moved the dial to pilot, held it in, and kept pushing the little black button til the blue light started to flash. Mission accomplished. ;)
This may not seem like a big deal, but I have never been mechanically inclined. I can usually figure something out if I have some step by step directions, though. I've always said, "If you can read, you can do just about anything".
I'm so proud of myself. :D
 

Good for you, Ceegee! I remember going through that stage of all those scary ā€œfirstsā€, and isnā€™t it a wonderful feeling when things go well!
Yes, it is. When I dug out the paper work, it was to find a phone number so I could call them to come out and do it for me. But, I found the directions and thought I might as well make the effort. No telling when I might have to do it again and I can't keep calling people to do these little things for me. These little accomplishments will add up and make me feel a bit more independent. Won't have to throw money at things I can really do for myself with a little effort and gumption. šŸ˜Œ
 
I know exactly how you feel. Just yesterday, I came in here and my modem wasn't working. I turned it off and back on again, waited for it to connect and it still would not make the connection. I rebooted the computer, waited and still it would not connect. Then I unplugged the cable from the jack and plugged it back in but it felt like it wasn't going down as it should. I pulled out my flashlight and looked down into the jack and saw something plastic in it that shouldn't be there.

Then I remembered an old cable had broken off about a year ago or more and maybe that was what was down there. I thought but it has been working so what is going on. I didn't want to call a service man just for a stopped up jack so I pulled out some tweezers, shined my flashlight down in it and pulled that sucker out of there. I connected it and turned my modem back on and it worked. I let out the loudest shout of joy I was so proud of myself. I'm surprised my neighbors didn't hear me.
 
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I know how you feel. My husband died 4 months ago, and since then, life has been full of challenges. Everything is vastly complicated by the fact that I'm legally blind. I have a lot of adaptive software and household stuff, but it can only do so much. But yesterday, my new talking kitchen scale came in the mail, and I managed to assemble it, get the batteries in and figure out how to use it. Which may not seem like a big deal, but try doing it with your eyes closed. I've learned to embrace the small victories.
 
Being a homeowner, I can't list the hundreds of things I've had to fix, over the years. Being able to do so has probably saved me thousands of dollars.
Just yesterday, I noticed a small puddle of water on the basement floor. I was able to trace it to a small hole in the drain hose on the AC evaporator. I just wound a bunch of electrical tape around the damaged area, and next time I go to a hardware store, I'll see if I can find a new hose.....it's a never ending series of chores....but, at least it keeps me from getting too bored.
 
Those little "victories" are really satisfying.
I have no mechanical ability & it's rare for me to fix anything. I was watching "Ask This Old House" & they were fixing a bathroom door that was difficult to open & close because it was rubbing against the door frame. I had the same problem; the top of the door would get jammed in the door frame. I already tried shaving off part of the door & tightening the hinge screws, but that didn't help.
The guys on the show explained that the problem was caused by earthquake activity slightly moving the door frame out of alignment. They cut pieces of cardboard & put them under the hinge at the top or bottom of the door to change the angle. I tried it. One piece of cardboard at the top hinge was all it took to made the door open & close perfectly.
 
I know how you feel. My husband died 4 months ago, and since then, life has been full of challenges. Everything is vastly complicated by the fact that I'm legally blind. I have a lot of adaptive software and household stuff, but it can only do so much. But yesterday, my new talking kitchen scale came in the mail, and I managed to assemble it, get the batteries in and figure out how to use it. Which may not seem like a big deal, but try doing it with your eyes closed. I've learned to embrace the small victories.
My mother became legally blind at 56 and lived with us for 26 years. I often used bold colored tape to put on appliance buttons or the washer/dryer turn knobs to help her easily see what to turn on/off. The talking books from the state (audio books, but better quality) were wonderful for her.

If you have someone you can call to help you, that makes it so much easier. Hope you have a good magnifying glass that can help, also. Feel free to send a post to me about something that's really troubling you and I'll see if we can help out.
 
My mother became legally blind at 56 and lived with us for 26 years. I often used bold colored tape to put on appliance buttons or the washer/dryer turn knobs to help her easily see what to turn on/off. The talking books from the state (audio books, but better quality) were wonderful for her.

If you have someone you can call to help you, that makes it so much easier. Hope you have a good magnifying glass that can help, also. Feel free to send a post to me about something that's really troubling you and I'll see if we can help out.

Thank you, I appreciate your offer. You sound like a great resource.

I get the audio books from the state library and also sometimes buy them online. The Commission for the Blind gave me this great software called ZoomText, which is a magnifier and reader, so I can still use my computer. The colored tape sounds like a good idea. My husband had used little plastic dots to mark all the appliances, so I can tell by feel where the controls are. I'm learning as I go, and all input is welcome!
 
Being a homeowner, I can't list the hundreds of things I've had to fix, over the years. Being able to do so has probably saved me thousands of dollars.
Just yesterday, I noticed a small puddle of water on the basement floor. I was able to trace it to a small hole in the drain hose on the AC evaporator. I just wound a bunch of electrical tape around the damaged area, and next time I go to a hardware store, I'll see if I can find a new hose.....it's a never ending series of chores....but, at least it keeps me from getting too bored.
Remember :unsure: the old tip that you can fix anything with WD40 and Duct tape? :D
 
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It would be good to check those directions and see if there is a date when it was first installed. I did that and found that it was 17 years old. I had saved an article from Consumers that said normal life expectancy was 10 years. I had it replaced before it became a problem. I am in my 80s, so I was willing to let a pro handle it. I replaced the last one in a different home, but that was 16 years ago.
 


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